Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/244



The next morning, while Śaktideva was dwelling in the monastery in the island of Utsthala, Satyavrata, the king of the fishermen, came to him, and said to him in accordance with the promise which he had made before, " Bráhman, I have thought of a device for accomplishing your wish; there is a fair isle in the middle of the sea named Ratnakúta, and in it there is a temple of the adorable Vishnu founded by the Ocean, and on the twelfth day of the white fortnight of Áshádha there is a festival there with a procession, and people come there diligently from all the islands to offer worship. It is possible that some one there might know about the Golden City, so come let us go there, for that day is near." When Satyavrata made this proposal, Śaktideva consented gladly, and took with him the provisions for the journey furnished by Vishnudatta. Then he went on board the ship brought by Satyavrata, and quickly set out with him on the oceanpath, and as he was going with Satyavrata on the home of marvels* in which the monsters resembled islands, he asked the king, who was steering the ship, " What is this enormous object which is seen in the sea far off in this direction, looking like a huge mountain equipped with wings rising at will out of the sea ?" Then Satyavrata said: " Bráhman, this is a banyan-tree, † underneath it they say that there is a gigantic whirlpool, the mouth of the submarine fire. And we must take care in passing this way to avoid that spot, for those who once enter that whirlpool never return again." While Satyavrata was thus speaking, the ship began to be carried in that very direction by the force of the wind; ‡ when Satyavrata saw this, he again said to Śaktideva: " Bráhman, it is clear that the time of our destruction has now arrived, for see, this ship suddenly drifts § in that direction. And now I cannot anyhow prevent it, so we are certain to be cast into that deep whirlpool, as into the mouth of death, by the sea which draws us on as if it were mighty fate, the result of our deeds. And it grieves me not for myself, for whose body is continuing? But it grieves me to think that your desire has not been accomplished in spite of all your toils, so while I back this ship for a moment, quickly climb on to the boughs of this banyan-tree, perhaps some expedient may present itself for saving the life of one of such noble form, for who can calculate the caprices of fate or the waves